


Greatest Weakness (Greatest Treasure)

by Lumeleo



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Mpreg, Multi, Secret Children, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 06:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22112449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeleo/pseuds/Lumeleo
Summary: It's not too rare for Hibari to disappear. However, he has now been missing much longer than usual, leaving no clues. When Dino and Squalo finally find him, it turns out he's had a very good reason for hiding, one that manages to be both a big surprise and a very, very small one.
Relationships: Dino/Hibari Kyouya/Superbi Squalo, Hibari Kyouya & Suzuki Adelheid
Comments: 2
Kudos: 56
Collections: Unforgettable Stories Art and Podcasts





	Greatest Weakness (Greatest Treasure)

Dino wasn’t sure if he could say Adelheid was glowing, per say, but she was certainly as pretty as ever as he walked into the room.

Adelheid glanced up at him, her lips twitching in recognition. “Well, well. To what do I owe this honor, Don Cavallone?” She made a gesture of getting up from her seat, but Dino shook his head, halting her.

“Really, now.” Dino flashed her his best smile, handing over the gift bag he’d brought with him. “I can’t visit an ally just to give them my congratulations on such joyous news?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t presume to say what you can or can’t do.” Her smirk said otherwise, though, even as she accepted the gift with a little nod. “Even so, I highly doubt a don of such a big family can travel across the world just to deliver a gift personally.”

“I’ve travelled for less notable reasons before.” Dino sighed with only a little exaggeration. “Though you are correct. I do wish to congratulate you on the impending arrival and wish you all the best, but that’s not the only reason I am here.”

“Well, for the record, I cannot tell you where Hibari is.” Ah, ever so perspective.

“Cannot, or will not?”

“The difference is negligible.” Adelheid shrugged. “I am not at a liberty to say. Will that work better for your don sensibilities?”

Dino couldn’t help but chuckle. “Considering the dons you usually deal with are Tsuna and Enma, I really don’t know where you’ve got this idea of dons as overly formal people.”

“They are different. I know I can actually trust them.” Adelheid’s eyes were sharp on him before she set the bag on her lap, peeking into it. “A onesie with a picture of a snowman? Really, Cavallone?”

“There’s another one with a sandcastle,” Dino informed her helpfully. “I thought it would be appropriate.” He didn’t comment on her implication that she did not, in fact, trust him. He knew he hadn’t given her enough reason to do so yet.

“Well, I suppose it’s not entirely inappropriate.” Adelheid nodded at him again before carefully setting the bag aside. “Thank you for the gift. I am still not going to tell you where to find Hibari.”

“And what if I told you I’m not here to ask you that?” Dino made a gesture towards the other seat, then sat down as she nodded. He might have outranked her, but that was no excuse to be rude.

“I would say that’s bullshit.” Adelheid snorted. “We’ve barely even met before. Even if you wanted to show your support as an allied don — which is entirely possible, based on what I know about you — there is no reason for you to come here in person unless you wanted to interrogate me.”

“Interrogation is such a harsh word.” Dino smiled, clasping his hands on his lap. It wasn’t his usual negotiation stance, not quite; he knew his fake politeness would win him no friendship with this woman. However, it was close enough to hopefully tell her he was serious. “It’s true, though. I’m not here to ask you where Kyouya is. All I want to know is whether he is all right.”

“And what exactly makes you think I could answer that, either?” Adelheid shook her head. “Everyone knows what you are to him. If you have no idea where he is, why should I?”

“Really? Because there are times when I don’t know how he sees me.” Dino sighed a little, but smiled still. He knew well enough what Kyouya was like, as no doubt did she. “However, I’d like to think I know Kyouya to some extent after all these years. As such, I know what he values.” He glanced at her rounded belly. “Sure, Kyouya might disappear without a word, leaving both Squalo and myself behind with no warning. He’s done it before, even if never for quite so long at once. He could very well cut off all contact with even his regular friends if he feels like it. That’s all perfectly within what I know of Kyouya.”

“But?” Adelheid prompted with a lifted eyebrow.

“But I know there is no way he would simply drop off the face of the Earth and not keep up to date on how your little one is doing.” He gestured towards her stomach. “Kyouya has always preferred small creatures over people, and animals don’t get much smaller than the unborn.”

“How very astute.” Adelheid’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk. “Careful, or I might actually start to understand what exactly he sees in you.”

“It’s a good thing I know you love Julie-kun, or I might get in trouble.” Dino gave her a sunny smile. “So. Am I correct?”

“After a fashion, I suppose.” Adelheid rested a hand on her stomach. “Yes, I am occasionally in touch with Hibari. No, I’m not going to tell you where he is or why he has disappeared. What I can tell you is that he is perfectly healthy, and doesn’t seem to be in any sort of serious trouble. At least he has never missed a call so far, so clearly he can’t be up to anything that would be too disruptive to his schedule.”

“Makes sense. Kyouya does like his routines.” Dino nodded. “Do you have any idea how long he’s going to be gone?” Because for all his whims, Kyouya did like to have things under control. Dino sometimes suspected the start of their relationship and its various stages had all been penned in Kyouya’s internal calendar long before anything actually happened.

Now Adelheid paused for a bit, and, well, wasn’t that curious. Finally, she gave a small shake of her head. “I don’t know the particulars of what he’s planning. What I can tell you is that he will be back eventually. So if you were worried that he might have abandoned you for good, stop.”

“I suppose all I can do is believe you, huh.” Dino gave her a sad little smile. “At least let him know we miss him, okay?”

“I’m sure he’s aware, but I’ll reiterate it anyway.” Adelheid straightened herself a little. “Well. I suppose in the interest of fairness, I’ll ask you something in turn.”

“I can’t really say no to that, can you?” He was somewhat amused at her attitude. It was easy to see why she would get along with Kyouya.

“Indeed not.” Adelheid smirked before her expression turned more serious. “So. What do you think about children?”

“Huh?” That was unexpected. “I’m… not sure what you mean.”

“Well.” Adelheid glanced down at her hands. “Julie and I are not married. Mostly because he keeps finding ways in which it could go wrong.”

“I am aware. It’s clear he adores you, though.” If even an outsider such as Dino had seen that through their occasional banter, it definitely was obvious.

“That’s not the point here.” Adelheid tugged at one of her curly locks. “The point is… my experience on such things, especially in the context of mafia, is rather limited. As long as I can remember people have looked down on us simply for being Shimon. Now, though, we have the support of Vongola. As such, I’m wondering if my child can actually grow up without being despised, or if my being unmarried will ruin that for them.”

Dino drew a deep breath, trying to figure out how to best word his response. “I cannot speak for all of mafia, of course, as I can’t for the rest of the world. I’m sure you are already aware that there will always be people who disapprove of such things. However, I can assure you I am not one of those people.”

“Is that so?” Adelheid was giving him an almost disturbingly sharp gaze as though trying to dissect him with her eyes. “I would have thought a don of all people would think marked lines of inheritance are important.”

“After the state my father left the family in, I’m sure not even the most traditional of my consigliere will think much on the idea of blood connection making good leaders.” Dino snorted. “Besides, as a don, I’ve seen far too many children born out of obligation or a sense of duty, when the only reason a child should be born is love.”

“Aren’t you a romantic.” The smirk on her face was almost identical to Kyouya’s.

“I suppose I am.” There was no way of denying it, after all. “A child should always be born loved and wanted. Whether the parents are legally bound to each other has absolutely no bearing on the matter. I believe your child will be very loved indeed, and that’s all I need to know.”

“Hm. Such idealistic views.” Adelheid tilted her head to the side, still examining him far too closely for Dino’s comfort. “I wonder if any others share them.”

“Well, you would know your own don better than I ever could.” Dino shook his head. “But in terms of other close allies, I know for a fact Tsuna doesn’t care about such things either. After all, his right hand man is Gokudera, who was born illegitimate.”

“I suppose that would imply it, yes.” Adelheid’s smirk turned into more of a smile. “In that case, I guess the opinions of other people don’t matter. After all, if both Don Vongola and Don Cavallone approve of our child, I doubt anyone else would be arrogant enough to try to cause trouble.”

“Indeed.” Dino chuckled. “And if anyone does try, feel free to refer them to me if you’d rather not waste your time correcting such stupidity. I’ll have no trouble letting them know just how much I look forward to meeting the next generation of Shimon, and how reluctant I am to see anyone cause them grief.”

“I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.” Adelheid’s lips curled further. “And in return, I will make sure to let you know as soon as there is anything I can share about Hibari.”

“I suppose that’s the best I can ask for, knowing Kyouya.” Dino nodded. “Thank you for that. It really is a relief to know he’s all right, even if I can’t know where he is.”

“Yes, he figured it would set your mind at ease when he said you’d be coming along.” Now, Adelheid’s expression was downright smug.

At that point Dino could only laugh. Clearly Kyouya knew him even better than Dino knew Kyouya.

*

The letter was, on its surface, rather unassuming.

The address and name were written in unfamiliar hand, though the mere fact it had arrived at Dino’s exact address told something about the level of knowledge the sender must have had. It was one thing to be able to find out where the main Cavallone estate was located, and quite another to be able to pinpoint and even name the exact building within that estate that Dino lived in. Moreover, the envelope was addressed to both Dino and Squalo. Even most people in the mafia shied away from bringing attention to their oh so scandalous relationship, and certainly would not have acknowledged the fact that Squalo spent as much time on the Cavallone estate as he did in the Varia mansion.

And, of course, the letter had been sent from Japan. That was always noteworthy.

Dino wasn’t sure which combination of these facts convinced Romario to bring the envelope to him directly rather than having it pre-screened for his convenience. What he did know was that his old friend looked remarkably unsurprised when the card inside was written in very familiar handwriting indeed, a soft yellow feather taped to the brief note in place of a signature.

Dino scanned the sparse lines for any word from Kyouya. What he found was somehow even better. Rather than news of any kind, the note only included an address somewhere in Japan, along with a brief addition: “Don’t keep me waiting.”

“Romario,” Dino said, already digging out his phone and trying to decide if he should call Squalo or look into flight arrangements first. “Look up this address for me, will you?”

Romario, of course, decided to exceed all his expectations by simply glancing at the address. “I think I know where that is, Boss.”

“Huh?” Dino looked up from his half-finished text message. “What do you mean, you know?”

“Not the exact address, of course, but I recognize the name of the town.” Romario adjusted his glasses and smiled. “It’s a small town about an hour’s drive from Namimori. I visited it once with Kusakabe while you and Hibari were, ah, otherwise occupied. Apparently a store there sells a kind of tea Hibari especially likes.”

“An hour out from Namimori. Of course.” Trust Kyouya to find a way to stick close to his beloved town while also avoiding their searches.

“I’ll just get our usual travel plans ready, then, shall I?”

“Yes, please.” Dino was having enough trouble trying to convey the most important parts of the news to Squalo.

Squalo’s response consisted mostly of expletives, but Dino managed to decipher enough to lead him to believe Squalo would indeed be joining him for the trip. Romario was remarkably helpful, making sure Dino’s responsibilities were rearranged to make room for an impromptu trip to Japan. Even so, it felt like forever until they finally arrived at their destination nearly two days later.

To absolutely no surprise from either Dino or Squalo, they found Kusakabe standing outside the appointed address, smoking a cigarette. At their approach, the man simply glanced at Dino and his retinue, nudging his head toward the house. “Only you two are allowed inside.”

“Right. Thank you.” Dino paused to assure Romario that it was fine, really it was, now enjoy catching up with Kusakabe and keep everyone else out, before following Squalo into the house. As expected, Squalo was already yelling.

“VOOOOIIII! What the fuck do you think you’re doing disappearing on us, you fucking piece of shit?”

Kyouya’s approach was quiet enough Dino actually didn’t notice him right away. Then, however, Kyouya stepped forward from the doorway he’d appeared in, half blocking the hallway Squalo was preparing to storm down. “I would appreciate it if you could quiet down.”

“Kyouya!” Dino held back his immediate instinct to rush forward and make sure Kyouya was in one piece, knowing it would not be welcomed. At least Kyouya looked well enough, though Dino couldn’t help but note how pale and tired his face was. He seemed relaxed, though, dressed in a comfortable yukata with no weapons in sight, so Dino figured there was no actual trouble afoot. “You know, running out on us isn’t exactly a good way to make Squalo not shout.”

“Perhaps so. However, I just got the baby to sleep, and if she wakes up I will give you a proper reason to scream.”

“Wait, what?” Dino blinked, taken aback. “What baby?”

“The baby in the nursery.” Typical Kyouya. Answering his question precisely, yet providing no actual information.

“What the fuck?” At least Squalo kept his volume relatively low. Low for him, anyway. “Whose baby?”

“Genetic testing hasn’t been very high up on my list of priorities, so at the moment I can only say she is mine.”

“Wait.” Dino’s blood ran cold at the implication. “You got someone pregnant?” Except that didn’t make any sense. Kyouya had never been interested in women, and besides he was as fiercely territorial about their relationship as he was of his precious Namimori. But even so…

“Of course not.” Kyouya rolled his eyes, dismissing the very idea. “One of you got me pregnant.”

Squalo burst out with more expletives, and Dino was about to chastise Kyouya for making light of such an issue, only to realize Kyouya did not look like he was joking. Rather, he was looking at the two of them with nothing but seriousness in his gaze.

“But… how would that even be possible?” Dino blinked. “I know you’re not a woman!”

“Your guess is as good as mine, though I suspect it would have something to do with the last time I got stung by one of Shamal’s insects. I never found out what supposed disease it was carrying, and I started showing symptoms soon afterwards.”

“Wait a fucking moment.” Squalo stormed closer. “Are you actually claiming you got knocked up?”

Kyouya did not seem very taken aback by the disbelief, instead moving to part his yukata to show the skin underneath. There was a relatively fresh-looking incision along the bottom of his stomach, the once flawlessly pale skin marked with stretch marks. “Either that, or I decided to disappear for months on end, kidnapped a newborn, and faked a surgery wound just to pull a very strange joke on you.”

“You said there was a baby.” Which Dino wasn’t sure had truly sunk in yet, or he would hardly have felt so calm.

“Indeed.” Kyouya nodded. “The nursery is at the end of the hall. If you wake her up, you will pay.”

Dino nodded in acknowledgement of the threat, one that he did not doubt for a moment. With Squalo apparently occupied with trying to find the limits of his multilingual swear word vocabulary, Dino headed for the hallway instead. He wasn’t sure if he was anticipating or dreading what he might find inside, but he figured it would get settled soon enough.

The nursery looked… like a nursery. Somehow, with Kyouya involved, that seemed like a surprise. The colors were light and soft, the walls were decorated with cheerful pictures of cute animals, and the expected furniture of changing tables and dressers were all in their places. The thing that caught Dino’s attention, however, was the crib in the middle of it all. The crib with a baby inside.

Dino found himself holding his breath as he walked up to the crib, peering past the airy white curtains. As he did so, it occurred to him he had never seen an actual newborn, certainly not one this young. He couldn’t tell even her approximate age, but he knew she was smaller than any baby he had ever seen in his life, tiny and fragile and incredibly, immeasurably beautiful.

The baby’s dark hair and brows were clearly from Kyouya, though Dino found himself looking for signs of either Squalo or himself in her features as well. He wondered if her little nose might take after Squalo in time, or whether the shape of her face had some reminder of himself. Of course, he knew he would love her with his entire heart regardless. This was Kyouya’s child, Kyouya’s precious baby, and as such she was Dino’s child as well regardless of genetics.

Dino wasn’t sure how long he spent watching the baby sleep until the sound of footsteps and quiet grumbles told him Kyouya had managed to calm down Squalo’s tirade at last. The two walked up to him, flanking him at the side of the crib.

“Well, fuck,” Squalo murmured, his hand stilling on the edge of the crib. “There actually is a baby.”

“Indeed.” Kyouya sounded downright smug as he circled the crib to face them over it. “I would like to introduce you to Hibari Sakura, age one week.”

“A week.” That certainly explained how she was so very tiny. Then, however, Dino’s mind caught up to the implications of her name. “Wait. Sakura? But… you hate cherry blossoms.” Had done so ever since Mukuro had used them to hurt him, from what Dino knew.

“Do not fret. I hold no such feelings for her.” Kyouya reached into the crib, his touch incredibly gentle as he brushed a fingertip against the side of her face. “I merely decided to acknowledge that she is my greatest weakness.”

“Oh, Kyouya.” Dino sighed, trying to figure out how he felt about it. For once, Squalo seemed to come to terms with the swirling emotions first, speaking with a voice that was unusually quiet for him, almost soft.

“Is that why you hid?” Squalo’s eyes were even sharper than usual, all but piercing Kyouya with their intensity.

“Indeed.” Kyouya met their gazes with nothing but sincerity, not taken aback by their intense scrutiny. “As soon as I realized what was causing my symptoms I knew I would be targeted by plenty of people, both those one of us has directly offended and those who would not like to see such complications to the mafia politics.” Because she was quite probably the next Donna Cavallone, went unsaid between them. “Besides, the pregnancy would make it harder for me to defend myself. After some consideration, I decided that the safest option would be to disappear, both to make sure no enemy could find me and to hide the new reason for anyone to try.”

“We could have protected you,” Dino pointed out, trying to mask the hurt in his voice. For all that he had always known how independent Kyouya was, how much he hated relying on others, it still pained him to know Kyouya would not trust him with this. “We would have.”

“I know. However, you could not do anything about the increased likelihood of an attack. Furthermore, I had no desire to be gawked at like some medical curiosity.” Dino refrained from pointing out that a pregnant person with purely male anatomy certainly qualified as such. “Now, however, she is here, and I’m recovering from a major surgery, which will likely take a while. As such, I decided it was about time I informed you.”

“Well, now you can count on us protecting both of you.” Dino waited for the inevitable protest, only for it not to arrive. “What, not going to tell me how needless it is?”

“I am not too proud to deny the fact I am currently weaker than usual. Besides, I would not try to stop you from protecting your child.”

“Good.” Squalo’s voice was gruff and his brows furrowed, yet somehow he sounded almost gentle. “Because if you think we’ll let anything hostile get within a fucking mile of either of you, I’ll be the first one to kick your fucking ass.” This was, of course, the closest Squalo could bring himself to admitting his caring aloud, but then if anyone besides Dino himself could understand that, it would be Kyouya.

“Do not worry.” Kyouya smiled minutely. “Her safety is my topmost priority. I can hold back my pride for her sake.”

Really, Dino had been holding this back ever since he’d seen Kyouya. Somehow, though, this simple statement finally broke through what little remained of his self-control, and he found himself leaning over the crib to kiss Kyouya. It was a reunion far too long in the making, and Dino very throughly enjoyed the moment, at least until he was all but shoved aside to allow Squalo to take his place. Not that Dino could blame him, of course, his only protest being that he didn’t know whether to watch the very pleasant sight of his lovers kissing or the stunning beauty of the baby in the crib.

Of course, if things went well, he would get to see plenty of both in the near future.

*

“Asleep again, huh?”

“Well, he has a lot of recovery to do.” Dino smiled fondly at the sight of Kyouya curled up in the corner of a couch, deep asleep. It was good to see him safely back in the Cavallone mansion, safe and secure enough to fall asleep. Sakura was following his example, dozing in Dino’s arms after finishing her bottle. “And, well, he likes his naps even when he’s well.”

“Oh, I’m not surprised about that at all. I meant the fucking poop machine.” Squalo ignored Dino’s half-hearted glare, plopping down on the couch next to Kyouya. “What? She doesn’t have the brain functions for much else yet. Besides, you know I’m not exactly one for pet names.”

“Still. She’s our daughter, you could at least try not to insult her. It’s not the same thing as insulting Kyouya or me.” Dino glanced down at the baby. She was so tiny and soft and adorable, it was hard to believe she was real. “Ah. I know you didn’t exactly have a say in this whole thing, it was rather sprung on us after all. You probably were not expecting children to ever be a part of the equation. Still, I hope you can —”

“Okay, what the actual fuck?” Squalo cut him off, frowning deeply. The expression rather contrasted with his gentle movements as he moved Kyouya’s feet into his lap. “You think I’m going to bail on you or something?”

“It wouldn’t be an unreasonable thought.” Dino couldn’t quite look at Squalo right now. “I know I’m delighted at the idea of raising a family with the two of you, but you’ve never exactly been patient with children. No doubt Kyouya knows that, too. Neither of us would hold it against you if you decided this is too much.”

“Idiot.” Squalo ran a hand along Kyouya’s legs, slow and gentle so as not to wake him up. Dino understood the urge. He was rather tempted to touch Kyouya every now and then just to make sure he was indeed there. “Yeah, this particular baby was a surprise, what the fucking ever. But if you thought I expected never to deal with kids, you’re even dumber than you look. You’re Don Cavallone, of course you’d have an heir sooner or later.”

Dino blinked, looking back at Squalo. “Really?” Of course, the need to carry on the Cavallone line had been in the back of his mind most of his life, but he hadn’t expected his lovers to concern themselves with it.

“I’m not actually stupid, and neither’s the birdbrain. Hell, both of us only met Kyouya because heirs are pretty important in our world. So, really, a child isn’t a fucking surprise, just the timing and circumstances.”

“And what does that mean, exactly?” Dino couldn’t allow himself to assume anything of Squalo’s feelings.

“It means that if you think I’m going to bail on you, you need a fucking kick in the head.” Squalo snorted. “I’m not one for coddling kids, sure, and I sure as hell won’t watch my mouth. But it’s a child, it’s our child, and clearly Kyouya considered it important enough to put himself at risk by disappearing. I’d have to be fucking blind not to see you’re completely in love already. That? That’s fucking important to me.”

“But she is not?” Why was he asking? He probably couldn’t handle the answer.

“Not what I fucking said.” Squalo huffed. “That kid’s mine as much as it’s yours, all right? I can’t handle bedtime stories or other shit like that, not my fucking field. But I’m going to protect her, and protect you, and protect our family. Nobody’s going to get to you unless it’s through my dead fucking body.”

“…Right.” Dino smiled. He should have known better than to ever doubt Squalo’s loyalty. “We’ll both have to do our best. After all, we wouldn’t want Kyouya disappearing again with Sakura, now would we?”

“Eh, knowing him, he wouldn’t have called us in if he had any doubts.” Squalo snorted. “I mean, he even got Adelheid to spy for him.”

Dino was about to protest, or ask what Squalo meant. Then he remembered his conversation with Adelheid, and her questions about his views on illegitimate children. At the time it had seemed perfectly reasonable in light of her own situation, but looking back, it was rather obvious what she had actually been asking. “…I suppose I should be glad for passing the test, huh.”

“Indeed.” The answer didn’t come from Squalo, but rather from a sleepy murmur from Kyouya. “If you had not convinced Adelheid, you would have never heard from me again.”

“Kyouya!” Dino paled at the mere idea. “You can’t mean that!”

“You know me, Bucking Horse. I would not risk my little one for the sake of my own emotions.” Kyouya opened one eye, peeking out at him. “I did trust you would be worth my feelings, but I had to make sure.”

“Well. In that case, I’m even happier that she approved of my answers.” Dino smiled. “Perhaps we should relocate to bedroom? Not that you didn’t look perfectly comfortable there, but it’s getting pretty late.”

“You’ve had worse ideas.” Kyouya sat up, clearly still careful of his incision, and Dino’s heart ached with his desire to just hold Kyouya close and protect him from everything. Now he had the chance, he and Squalo had Kyouya back and another little life to love besides, and Dino was not going to fail them. Exchanging glances with Squalo, he knew they were in agreement.

If they could help it, Kyouya would never again feel the need to hide away from them.


End file.
